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PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION ON SERIES 2 OF THE CITY-INITIATED AMENDMENTS TO THE STOCKTON CITYWIDE ZONING MAP AND GENERAL PLAN LAND USE MAP TO COMPLY WITH THE 2040 GENERAL PLAN
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Planning Commission receive a presentation from City staff and provide direction on the proposed second Series (“Series 2”) of City-initiated amendments to the Stockton Citywide Zoning Map and General Plan Land Use Map to comply with the 2040 General Plan.
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Summary
The City Council approved the first Series (“Series 1”) of Zoning Map amendments on March 9, 2021. The current request (“Series 2”) addresses inconsistencies involving General Plan and Zoning incompatibility, parcels with multiple or no designations, Rights-of-Ways, Civic Uses, Parks, Open Space and Recreation areas, and Property Owner-requested changes. In addition to requesting Zoning Map amendments, City staff is proposing a General Plan Land Use Map Amendment (hereafter “GPLUMA”) to resolve more complex inconsistencies. For reference, Attachment-A shows the Existing General Plan Land Use Map, while Attachment-B shows the Existing Citywide Zoning Map.
The table below provides a summary of the inconsistencies and proposed options for solutions. Staff is seeking direction from the Planning Commission on the options to resolve these Inconsistencies.
|
Inconsistency |
Description |
Possible Solution |
|
Split Zone |
Properties with multiple General Plan Land Use designations or Zoning designations. |
1. GPLUMA and/or change Zoning 2. Changes to support current use and match surrounding uses/development patterns. |
|
No Designation |
Properties without a General Plan Land Use designation or Zoning but are currently used for some purpose. |
1. GPLUMA and/or change Zoning 2. Changes to support current use and match surrounding uses/development patterns. |
|
Rights-of-Way (“ROW”) |
Properties used for circulation and cannot be developed for other uses (e.g., buildings). |
1. GPLUMA and/or change Zoning 2. Classify streets, waterways, and railway corridors as ROW. 3. Zoning Code Amendment to clarify ROW definitions. 4. These areas of travel must align with the General Plan (i.e.street system, parks). |
|
Civic Uses |
Includes properties that are controlled by the state, school districts, or other agencies that serve a public purpose. |
1. GPLUMA and/or change Zoning 2. Zoning Code Amendment to clarify definitions. 3. Public Schools would be Institutional with a Public Facilities zone. 4. Private schools, religious institutions, or other quasi-public uses regulated by Table 2-2 of the zoning code (Allowable Uses). |
|
Parks |
Includes public and private parks that currently have other land use designations (i.e., housing). |
1. GPLUMA and/or change Zoning 2. Zoning Code Amendment to clarify definitions. 3. General Plan and Zoning text amendments to clarify the definitions. 4. Parks and Recreation use (e.g., trails) within ROW areas will not be included as standalone recreational use. 5. Based on City Park Plan and approved private parks (i.e., HOA parks). |
|
Open Space, and Recreation |
Properties reserved for preservation and conservation, rather than active or passive recreation, which is not intended to be developed. Open Space includes wetlands and areas intended to help reduce flood risks. |
1. GPLUMA and/or change Zoning 2. General Plan and Zoning text amendments to clarify the definitions. 3. Maintain Open Space designation but expand to include other conservation uses. |
|
Property Owner-requested |
Property owners have expressed interest in modifying their General Plan Land Use and/or Zoning to maximize development potential or align with surrounding uses. Staff expects these requests to be included in both Series 2 and Series 3. |
1. GPLUMA and/or change Zoning 2. The request should benefit the surrounding community. 3. Staff will not support requests that will create an Inconsistency, precedent, or negatively impact a surrounding property. |
The Series 3 amendments will likely be recommended in tandem with Zoning Code Amendments so that the Code can better implement the proposed Series 3 changes to resolve Inconsistencies. These concurrent efforts are tentatively scheduled to begin in Summer 2021.
DISCUSSION
Background
In 2016, the Stockton City Council directed Staff to overhaul the 2035 General Plan to better align the community vision with expected growth patterns for the next twenty years. After years of community outreach and analysis, the City Council adopted the Envision Stockton 2040 General Plan ("General Plan") on December 4, 2018. The new General Plan focused on infill development by creating authentic neighborhoods, restored communities, and orderly, well-planned, balanced growth. Since the new General Plan was adopted, the City is now required by state law (California Government Code Section 65860) to update its Zoning Code and Zoning Map to be consistent with the new General Plan.
Due to the significant level of analysis and outreach necessary to make informed recommendations, Staff is proposing a series of amendments to correct these inconsistencies.
On December 10, 2020, the Planning Commission held a public hearing for proposed 724 parcel rezones, now known as “Series 1” and recommended approval to City Council. The City Council approved the Series 1 amendments on March 9, 2021, which consists of straightforward changes, such as Zoning City-owned parks for Parks and Recreation uses and classifying roadways as rights-of-way. Future City initiated series changes, including the current Series 2, will require additional public outreach and environmental review due to complexities such as multiple land uses adjacent to one another, existing infrastructure constraints, and other existing conditions necessitating further analysis.
Public Outreach
Due to Covid-19 restricting in-person meetings, Staff has utilized various tools and strategies to conduct community outreach, solicit feedback, and engage property owners throughout this project. Examples include:
• Mailed Handouts explaining the effort
• Mailed workshop notices
• Conducted virtual public workshops
• Hosted a project-specific webpage, phone line, and email address
• Interactive web tools including an Inconsistency Search Tool and Neighborhood Storyboards
On April 30, 2021, a notice of this Planning Commission study session was sent to all property owners with parcels designated as Series-2 or Series-3.
Present Situation
City staff will present the subject matter and proposed Series 2 amendments for the Planning Commission to consider and provide direction/feedback to Staff. While the Planning Commission can comment on any component of the overall effort, Staff is explicitly looking for direction on the proposed solutions for the Series 2 Inconsistencies.
This feedback can include:
• whether the proposed solutions are sufficient,
• substantially sufficient with minor edits, or
• whether different solutions should be explored.
The input received at this study session will be used by Staff to perform further analysis and develop recommendations for future Planning Commission action. Should the Planning Commission substantially agree with the Series 2 recommendations, Staff will continue public outreach efforts based on the Planning Commission's feedback.
Proposed changes that require additional research, further discussion with the property owners, or reliance on Zoning Code amendments will be included in the Series 3 effort. Should the Planning Commission substantially agree with Staff’s current approach, Staff anticipates presenting Series 2 recommendations for approval consideration by the Planning Commission by Summer 2021 and to City Council by Fall 2021.
Environmental Analysis
The Planning Commission's direction to City staff on the Series-2 amendments is not considered a discretionary “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and will not require analysis.
Attachment A - General Plan Land Use Map
Attachment B - Stockton Citywide Zoning Map (Includes Series 1 Changes)
This staff report was prepared by Tristan Osborn, Senior Planner, (209) 937-8569; tristan.osborn@stocktonca.gov.